Robert Lange has announced the release of VectorLinux 6.0 "KDE-Classic" edition: "The VectorLinux crew is proud to announce the final release of VectorLinux 6.0 KDE-Classic. This release is not about bleeding-edge technology. On the other hand, it is not about nostalgia either. KDE 3.5.10 gets the job done. It is a mature and solid product with a large user base. Many of us are comfortable with it, and are not yet ready to leave it behind. We thought it only right to make a robust system with KDE 3.5.10 at the helm. The classic text installer will quickly have you up and running with the expected KDE tools. The KOffice suite is fast and suitable for everyday word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. Multimedia capabilities have been enhanced with the inclusion of VLC, xine and the MPlayer application and plugins." Read the rest of the release announcement for more details. Download: VL6.0-KDE-Classic.iso (685MB, MD5). Also announced today: the first beta of VectorLinux 6.0 "SOHO" edition.

VectorLinux is a small, fast, Intel based Linux operating system for PC style computers. The creators of VectorLinux had a single credo: keep it simple, keep it small and let the end user decide what their operating system is going to be. What has evolved from this concept is perhaps the best little Linux operating system available anywhere. For the casual computer user there is a lightening-fast desktop with graphical programs to handle daily activities from web surfing, sending and receiving email, chatting on IRC to running an FTP server. The power user will be pleased because all the tools are there to compile programs, use the system as a server or perhaps the gateway for home or office computer network. Administrators will be equally pleased because of the small size and memory requirements, so the operating system can be deployed on older machines that have long been forgotten.

Robert Lange has announced the availability of the first beta release of the upcoming VectorLinux 7.2, a Slackware-based distribution with a choice of Xfce ("Standard" edition) and IceWM ("Light" edition) desktop user interfaces: "VectorLinux is proud to announce the first beta release of the 7.2 version of its Standard and Light editions. The release features Light a minimal desktop using IceWM and SeaMonkey as its base of operation. The standard version is Xfce-based with the latest Firefox as the browser. Both versions can be installed with our semi automatic GUI installer or via a text-based installer, depending on your needs. We feature all the latest Linux software from Kodi to LibreOffice, all easily installed with our GUI or text-based package manager. We are using the latest 4.4.14 LTS kernel for the best hardware support and system speed. Last note for the diehards - we are systemd-free." Here is the brief release announcement. Download: VL64-7.2-STD-B1.iso (793MB, MD5), VL64-7.2-LIGHT-B1.iso (693MB, MD5).

Robert Lange has announced the release of VectorLinux 7.1 "Light" edition, a Slackware-based distribution featuring the lightweight IceWM window manager: "Vector Linux Light 7.1 is released and available for download. The 'lightness' of this edition is relative to our Standard edition, and is achieved by using the lightweight IceWM window manager in place of the Xfce desktop environment. You may also choose bare-bones X Window with just TWM. Otherwise the base system and installation experience is the same as Standard. IceWM is old school. It uses a manual approach, much like a stick shift instead of an automatic transmission. It doesn't change unless you tell it to. Configuration is managed by editing plain text files. To make things easier and get you started, some of the most common tweaks are also scripted and controllable by a GUI app. The target audience consists of those who like and prefer IceWM, owners of older computers, and users who want a minimal, yet functional starting point for their own creation. Minimum recommended hardware: an Intel Core class CPU, 1 GB of RAM, and 10 GB of drive space." Here is the brief release announcement. Download the installation CD image from here: VL64-7.1-LIGHT.iso (618MB, MD5), VL-7.1-LIGHT.iso (618MB, MD5).

It took quite a while to build, but finally it's here - the brand new VectorLinux 7.1. A Slackware-derived distribution with Xfce and without systemd. From the release announcement: "The VectorLinux team is proud to announce the final release of VectorLinux 7.1. This release is the culmination of years of work to make our distro the standard which all others hope to achieve. We have successfully developed an easy-to-use installer that can be used in both GUI and text modes depending on the hardware involved. It requires very little user intervention to achieve a successful installation of the system. We have completely automated our internal package system so that all packages are constantly up-to-date and patched as necessary. The system is available both in 32-bit and 64-bit variants and features the latest linux 3.18.16 LTS kernel. We use the latest Xfce as our GUI desktop with Fluxbox as an alternative. The repository contains the bigger systems like KDE and thousands of other programs easily installed through the tried and trusted gslapt/slaptget package installer." Download: VL64-7.1-STD-FINAL.iso (721MB, MD5, pkglist).

Robert Lange has announced the availability of the first release candidate for VectorLinux 7.1, the last test build of the project's fast and lightweight Linux distribution that is designed to work well on older hardware: "The VectorLinux team is proud to announce the availability of the RC1 release of VectorLinux-7.1. We include Xfce 4, the GIMP, Firefox, CUPS, Exaile, popular multimedia plugins, and many other programs to maximize the desktop experience. Also new is an update to our very own installer; this was written from scratch and is a major improvement from previous installers. This is a release candidate build so the final release is soon to follow after initial peer testing. We want as many people as possible to test this and give us feedback." Here is the brief release announcement. Download link: VL64-7.1-STD-RC1.iso (701MB, MD5).

For around a decade only the i386/i486 edition of VectorLinux has been available, which is a Slackware-based distribution optimised for business and office use. Today Robert Lange announced the first 64-bit edition of VectorLinux 7.0 Standard under the name "VLocity": "The main desktop is based on Xfce-4.8 with a custom theme and artwork unique to us. All the VectorLinux trademarks are included: DVD playback, audio and video codecs, multimedia and Java plugins are installed and working out of the box. The best of the open source world is included: GIMP, Inkscape for graphics; Firefox, Opera, for Internet Browsing; pidgin and xchat for instant messaging; Brasero for CD burning; MPlayer, Exaile for playing most available media formats. The office applications are Gnumeric, Abiword and Epdfviewer. Wireless networking has been extended with updated drivers and firmware, wicd has been employed to manage wireless and non-wireless networking. UFW is included for firewall protection and there is added support for several webcam makes and models." Check the forum for the announcement and feedback. Download: VL64-7.0-STD-FINAL.iso (699MB, MD5).

Robert Lange has announced the release of VectorLinux 7.0 "SOHO" edition, a Slackware-based distribution with KDE optimised for business and office use: "The final release of VectorLinux 7.0 SOHO is now available. This release is built on the 7.0 GOLD release featuring the recently released KDE 4.8.3 desktop experience. VectorLinux is the fastest Linux desktop in its class bar none. We have spared no expense to bring the KDE 4 desktop to the Linux community in a unique fashion that is best tried to see KDE 4 at its most awesome potential. With the custom artwork, visual tweaks and a little Vector magic, behold SOHO as you have never seen it before. DVD playback, audio and video codecs, multimedia and Java plugins are installed and working out of the box." See the release announcement for more information and screenshots. Download: VL7.0-SOHO-FINAL1.iso (685MB, MD5), VL7.0-SOHO-FINAL1-CD2.iso (686MB, MD5).

Robert Lange has announced the release of VectorLinux 7.0 "Light" edition, a desktop distribution featuring four lightweight desktop configurations with JWM, IceWM, Openbox and LXDE: "VectorLinux 7.0 Light is completed and released. The term 'Light' is relative. This 4-in-1 edition gives you the choice of several window managers, in progressively heavier configurations. These are layered on top of the VectorLinux 7.0 Standard base, so the expected libraries, toolkits, compilers and codecs remain available. For those who want a starting point for their own customized desktop, there is the 'Barebone' option. It is managed by the super-lightweight JWM, without much fluff. Netsurf, a small and speedy web browser, gives you access to the power of the Internet. Use the included build tools and package manager to download and install the programs of your choice. This configuration has been tested on a Pentium 3 with 128 MB of memory." Read the rest of the release announcement to learn more about the available options. Download link: VL7.0-LIGHT.iso (641MB, MD5).

Robert Lange has announced the final release of VectorLinux 7.0: "VectorLinux 7.0 is now available. This release is the result of nearly two years of blood, sweat and tears since the very successful release of VectorLinux 6.0. With the enthusiasm of a small group of packagers, our repository now hosts over a thousand up-to-date packages. VectorLinux is the fastest Linux desktop in its class bar none. We have exceeded our original goals and produced a beautiful, full-featured stable desktop that is fun, fast and efficient. The main desktop is Xfce 4.8 with a custom theme and artwork. Fluxbox is installed as a secondary desktop option. Much work has been done on localization and we know users from all over the globe will find VectorLinux usable in their language of choice. The kernel is version 3.0.8." See the release announcement and release notes for more details. Download the installation or the (installable) live CD image: VL7.0-STD-GOLD.iso (696MB, MD5), VL7.0-STD-GOLD-LIVE.iso (699MB, MD5).

Robert Lange has announced the availability of a new (and probably final) release candidate for VectorLinux Linux 7.0: "One last testing release, mainly because upstream had a lot of updates that I decided to take advantage of so we are not old before we are new. The biggest news is the move to the 3.0.4 kernel which adds new functionality and speed. We updated a lot of firmware so more wireless chipsets are supported. Software updates include Firefox to version 7.0.1, Cairo-Dock to 2.4.0, Mesa to 7.10.2 and updates to all the latest X.Org drivers. Those of you using Intel, NVIDIA or ATI graphics are encouraged to try a few games now with the supplied open-source drivers - you might be pleasantly surprised. We squashed a few bugs from the 2.1 release and are looking forward to a dynamic final release following testing of this last RC." Here is the brief release announcement. Download the installation or live CD images from here: VL7.0-STD-RC3.4.iso (701MB, MD5), VL7-STD-RC3.4-LIVE.iso (698MB, MD5).

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